Desire
by Niger Aquila
Summary: Time Travel. What we think we want rarely matches our heart's deepest desire.


Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**

* * *

**

**Desire**

**Day 1**

He recognized the place at once. The shops along the road. The small park with one of the swings broken but never fixed. The primary school that had been closed down in his fourth year. Ottery St. Catchpole.

There were children running around the school's playground now, which meant he was at least… eight years into the past.

He took out the time-turner from his pocket. Carved onto the bottom of the golden hourglass – slightly thicker than the standard model, he noted – was a word he could have sworn he had seen before.

"_This little thing can bring you exactly eight days before the one event that you wish to prevent above all else_," the keeper in the Department of Mystery had told him.

"_And the catch_?" he had asked.

_The keeper flipped the time-turner over and showed him the word carved onto it. "This is the catch, Mr. Weasley."_

He knew there was nothing he wanted to prevent more than Fred's death. How many times had he asked himself what he could have done differently that day? If only he had moved faster. If only he had lifted his wand a little higher. If only it had been him instead of his brother.

But he was clearly not at Hogwarts. In fact his younger-self might not even have started Hogwarts. Why was he here?

He put on the invisibility cloak he had 'borrowed' and walked out of the small village. A familiar sight came into view. The only place he would ever call his home. The same place he had vowed to never return.

The Burrow.

**Day 2**

The ghoul wasn't in the attic.

Percy never asked where it came from, but it had been around for as long as he could remember. So either he was not born yet at this point in time, or he was too small to remember.

He picked up his invisibility cloak and climbed down the ladder. He had apparated to the attic directly after discovering – to his shock - that there wasn't an apparition ward around the house. This level of security was unthinkable during the war.

The ladder was supposed to lead to just outside Ron's bedroom, but he found himself standing in front of his own room, which meant there were only two floors in the house instead five.

Which meant Ron and Ginny weren't born yet, neither were Fred and George since there was only one room on the second floor.

He walked down the stairs and froze when he entered the sitting room. His younger-self was there, playing on the floor as his mother cooked.

"Don't put it in your mouth, Percy dear."

The two-year-old chose to bang his toy against the floor instead. Percy winced at the racket. His mother abandoned the bacons and gathered his younger-self into her arms, whispering softly and kissing the toddler on his forehead.

Percy left the room.

**Day 3**

Percy had finally figured out the date and he had absolutely no idea what he was supposed to change on 15 June, 1977.

He spent the day in the library, going through the _Prophets_ in hope of finding out what was supposed to happen five days later. He had even gone as far as to try predicting You-Know-Who's next target.

Yes, that monster was very much still alive.

His family's lack of fear puzzled him until he recalled that they were not part of the Order in the first war and had stayed out of almost all of the battles. They would be targeted for being 'blood traitors', but not until one or two years later.

If only they had done the same in the second war.

Percy had known all along that Dumbledore's plans would do his family no good. What happened to Fred was the proof of that. Sure they were doing what was right, but wasn't it just as right to keep one's family safe?

"_Promise me, Percy dear, keep them safe, keep them out of trouble."_

"_I promise, Mum."_

**Day 4**

He followed closely as his father wandered around muggle London, buying one useless gadget after another and spending money that his family desperately needed.

Percy used to look up to this man. He had dreamed to follow his father's footstep and work for the Ministry since he was a child. He should have realized sooner that a man whose sole dream was to understand how muggles did things would misinterpret his son's desire to success.

Their relationship was tensed even after the war, even after Percy had admitted that he was wrong and begged for forgiveness, because something simply couldn't be fixed.

No matter what Percy did, he could never be as good as the other son that Arthur Weasley had lost.

His father laughed in delight when the shopkeeper showed him a toy car. Percy couldn't remember the last time his father had laughed so freely in his presence.

It would have been better for everyone if he had died in Fred's place. At times, Percy even managed to convince himself that it was true.

**Day 5**

Percy watched as his mother rocked his younger-self to sleep. He could hear Bill and Charlie playing in the garden and he found himself smiling at their childish laughter.

His two older brothers had always been close. At one point, Percy had taken to following them around, but he was simply too young to join in their games. Then the twins had come along and everything had changed.

Fred and George, Percy admitted, had a way to draw people in. No one in the family, aside from Percy and his mother, seemed to mind their pranks, never mind how downright cruel some of them could be. It didn't help that Percy was _always_ their target.

"_I'll be a good older brother, Mum, I promise you."_

"_I know you will, Percy dear."_

Percy shook his head and leaned back against the wall, allowing himself to relax as his mother hummed a song that sounded both familiar and distant.

**Day 6**

Somehow, his father had found himself standing between two Death Eaters and a terrified muggle girl.

"What do we have here, a Weasley?" said one of the masked wizards.

"Stay away from her," said Arthur, raising his wand. Percy could tell his father was scared.

"I heard you have three children, Weasley," said the other Death Eater. "What would they do without their Daddy?"

Arthur narrowed his eyes, but didn't budge from his spot. Hidden under his invisibility cloak, Percy tightened his grip on his wand even though he knew with certainty his father would survive this encounter.

What followed couldn't even be called a duel. It was over almost as soon as it started with his father's wand flying onto the ground.

One of the Death Eaters raised his wand. "_Avada –_"

"_Stupefy!_" yelled Percy, sending the spell towards the Death Eater's back. One down.

The other Death Eater spun around. "_Reducto_!"

Percy dodged. "_Stupefy!_"

The Death Eater sidestepped the spell, then suddenly froze and toppled over. A full body-bind. Percy looked up to see that his father had reclaimed his wand and was now staring straight at him.

His invisibility cloak had fallen onto the ground.

"Who –" Arthur began.

But Percy wasn't listening. He searched the ground in panic and was relieved when his hand fell upon the silk-like garment. He covered himself with the cloak and fled, leaving his shaken father and the muggle girl behind.

**Day 7**

Percy was once again in the library, this time searching for information on time travel. He knew, without a doubt, that had he not interfered, his father would have been dead by now.

This wasn't supposed to happen, or was it?

Was he supposed to come and save his father? Was his coming back in time already written in history?

He took out his time-turner. The sand in the hourglass was almost running out. One day left.

**Day 8 **

His father had taken the day off to stay with the family. From the way his mother kept fussing over him, Percy knew that his father had told her about his encounter with the Death Eaters.

He watched as the family ate dinner and waited desperately for something to happen. For Merlin's sake, what was he supposed to change? Or had he already changed it by being here?

After dinner, his parents retreated to their room, earlier than usual. Bill had a knowing look on his face and Percy couldn't help wondering just how the eight-year-old managed to learn about –

He froze and calculated the date in his mind. 15 June 1977, roughly ten months before the twins -

There was blinding white light and the next moment Percy found himself back the Department of Mystery.

"How has your journey been, Mr. Weasley?" asked the keeper. "You said you wanted to save your brother?"

Percy took out the time-turner and brushed his finger against the one word carved onto it. Then his stomach wrenched and he vomited right where he stood.

_Erised_. One's deepest desire.


End file.
